Meet the Class of 2020

September 01, 2017

This week, Penn Law welcomed the JD Class of 2020, comprised of 244 students who will bring their academic talents, professional skills, commitment to service, and artistic abilities to the Law School community.

The members of the Law School’s newest class come from 32 states, the District of Columbia, and countries across the globe, including Canada, China, Colombia, India, Italy, South Korea, and Taiwan.

“The Class of 2020 is an academically, professionally, and ideologically diverse group of students,” said Renée C. Post, Penn Law’s Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid. “They have excelled in the classroom, held demanding professional positions, and shown remarkable dedication to their communities.”

Penn Law received 5,601 applicants for the Class of 2020.

The members of the class range from 20 to 35 years old, with an average age of 24. While 28 percent came to Penn Law directly from college, 72 percent had a least one year of work experience before coming to law school. 10 percent are first-generation college students, and several students are first-generation Americans.

Within the class, 34 percent identify as people of color, 48 percent are women, and 12 percent self-identify as LGBTQ. 56 majors are represented in the class with 10 percent coming from STEM backgrounds, and 7 percent of students hold advanced degrees.

The Class of 2020 is composed of students who are committed to improving their local communities, as well as the global community.

They include teachers at every level, both in the United States and abroad; Fulbright recipients; a member of the Peace Corps; AmeriCorps and Teach for America alumni; a foreign service officer; a legal services coordinator for Human Rights First; the founder and director of a community education center in rural Peru; members of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps; a residential and case management worker for victims of human trafficking; a zookeeper aide at Smithsonian National Zoological Park; and a legal assistant for the Flint Water Class Action legal team.

They possess a diverse set of professional experiences, representing a wide range of careers. They include veterans, CPAs, private equity analysts, journalists, entrepreneurs, realtors, legal assistants and paralegals, legislative aides, campaign managers, and an underground mine engineer.

They have also demonstrated outstanding leadership skills in their schools and communities. The class includes captains of sports teams, undergraduate student body presidents, peer advisors, tutors, admissions volunteers, and orientation leaders.

But beyond their academic and professional accomplishments, they also have led unpredictable and inspiring lives. They include rock climbers, beer brewers, ranchers, improv comics, choreographers and dancers, and a slam poet.